SharePoint

SharePoint is an extremely successful collaboration platform from Microsoft. Now in its third major version, SharePoint combines a number of powerful features with ease of implementation and use. Key capabilities include:

• Easy-to-use document management tools, including workflow and document policy management
• Sophisticated portal capability based on Microsoft's Web Part infrastructure
• Electronic forms capability which allows rapid creation and publishing of electronic forms without code
• Web-based user interface with comprehensive Microsoft Office integration
• Powerful enterprise search making information easier to find
• Web-based collaboration tools enabling teams, projects and departments to work together effectively
• Enterprise content management and publishing facilities
• Easy to integrate and extend using the .NET platform

It is difficult to do justice to SharePoint in a brief functionality summary. However, companies are making effective of SharePoint in the following ways:

• Intranet web sites which are easy to update and maintain, and which actually help with finding information and documents
• Departmental, team and project sites supporting the specific aims of smaller workgroups and enabling people in different locations to work together effectively
• Public-facing web sites which make it easy to effectively manage the content of a corporate web site
• Extranet sites for associates or partner organisations, allowing collaboration beyond the boundaries of an organisation
• Portals which draw together information from many systems and sources to present a unified view of information

SharePoint has been extremely successful, partly due to the wealth of capabilities, and partly due to the low cost/risk of implementation. However, the very richness of the product can make it difficult for organisations to take fullest advantage of these capabilities. While it's easy enough to install SharePoint and begin using it, you should consider the following:

• Will our in-house IT people be able to support SharePoint? How much of their time will be soaked up learning all this new technology?
• How can we be sure that our SharePoint infrastructure and information architecture are properly-designed to meet the developing needs of the business?
• How will we handle training? How much is required, and who will do it?
• How much customisation is appropriate for our needs? How do we balance the cost of customisation against the need to fit the product to the way we work?
• Can we be sure that our backup and recovery procedures are effective?
• How do we decide whether we need to pay for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, or can get away with the (free) Windows SharePoint Services version?

Ballaird has a great wealth of SharePoint experience. Our consultants have delivered dozens of successful SharePoint projects, and have the skills to help your SharePoint implementation be a great success. Whether you need us to take on an entire project, or support your in-house IT staff in getting the most out of SharePoint, we can help you control the cost and risk of implementing SharePoint, assuring you of an excellent solution which will unlock the value of the product to your organisation.